Buying Advice Decision time: l3240 vs l3700

[ispan1]

I have been actively searching new and used, Kubota, Kioti and anything else that will help me maintain a 330 ft gravel drive, regrade the lawn, run a 5ft bushhog, pull a subsoiler and cut drainage ditches for the last 2 months. You folks have given me a lot of good advice and I'm just about ready to buy but I wanted to put the question up to the experts one last time, so here it is.

Option #1
New l3700 with loader and QA bucket, cruise, deluxe stabilizers, rear light, 3 hooks welded on the bucket, 66" Woods BB, Kubota insurance for about $20000 at 0%

or

Option #2
2008 L3240, 380 hours with L514 loader (not the 724) but with front and rear remotes, hydraulic top link, canopy, and what looks to be a wrap around grapple, along with a Taylor Way 6ft BB for $18500. Looks to be in excellent condition. This would be financed at 4% through my CU.

Which would you buy and why? Thanks in advance for the advice.

 

[TripleR]

Well, I too will await the experts' opinions, but it seems neither one "grabs" you and for that kind of investment, I would wait until one comes along that does.

 

[kuboman]

I have been actively searching new and used, Kubota, Kioti and anything else that will help me maintain a 330 ft gravel drive, regrade the lawn, run a 5ft bushhog, pull a subsoiler and cut drainage ditches for the last 2 months. You folks have given me a lot of good advice and I'm just about ready to buy but I wanted to put the question up to the experts one last time, so here it is.

Option #1
New l3700 with loader and QA bucket, cruise, deluxe stabilizers, rear light, 3 hooks welded on the bucket, 66" Woods BB, Kubota insurance for about $20000 at 0%

or

Option #2
2008 L3240, 380 hours with L514 loader (not the 724) but with front and rear remotes, hydraulic top link, canopy, and what looks to be a wrap around grapple, along with a Taylor Way 6ft BB for $18500. Looks to be in excellent condition. This would be financed at 4% through my CU.

Which would you buy and why? Thanks in advance for the advice.

Well if it is just raw hp you are after go for the l3700 but, I would go for the L3240. The GL's are just so much more refined and this is just my opinion but I think they are built better. Not the actual drive train but the tin work and cosmetic kind of stuff just seems better. You get a heavy rubber floor mat instead of tin floor boards etc.:licking:

 

[ispan1]

Well, I too will await the experts' opinions, but it seems neither one "grabs" you and for that kind of investment, I would wait until one comes along that does.

No, I think I would actually be happy with either, and I am leaning toward one of the two. I just wanted to present the facts and let the experts offer up their unbiased opinions.

 

[nybirdman]

For me it would be the L3240,nicer tractor more extras...those remotes are costly.

 

[kub32guy]

I have been actively searching new and used, Kubota, Kioti and anything else that will help me maintain a 330 ft gravel drive, regrade the lawn, run a 5ft bushhog, pull a subsoiler and cut drainage ditches for the last 2 months. You folks have given me a lot of good advice and I'm just about ready to buy but I wanted to put the question up to the experts one last time, so here it is.

Option #1
New l3700 with loader and QA bucket, cruise, deluxe stabilizers, rear light, 3 hooks welded on the bucket, 66" Woods BB, Kubota insurance for about $20000 at 0%

or

Option #2
2008 L3240, 380 hours with L514 loader (not the 724) but with front and rear remotes, hydraulic top link, canopy, and what looks to be a wrap around grapple, along with a Taylor Way 6ft BB for $18500. Looks to be in excellent condition. This would be financed at 4% through my CU.

Which would you buy and why? Thanks in advance for the advice.

Price seems pretty good on the 3240 considering the front and rear remotes, hyd. top link and especially the grapple. If those are things you need and you go with the 3700 your $20000 tractor is going to swell closer to $25000.
I have the L514 on my l3240 and my bucket is 66", but my rear wheels are 72". The 72" bucket for that loader is light material, although I didn't personally inspect it. I went to a couple of dealer's looking to trade up to 724 loader but none were interested.
That being said my loader has done every thing I asked it too. Good luck with your decision.


Jim

 

[ispan1]

Price seems pretty good on the 3240 considering the front and rear remotes, hyd. top link and especially the grapple. If those are things you need and you go with the 3700 your $20000 tractor is going to swell closer to $25000.
I have the L514 on my l3240 and my bucket is 66", but my rear wheels are 72". The 72" bucket for that loader is light material, although I didn't personally inspect it. I went to a couple of dealer's looking to trade up to 724 loader but none were interested.
That being said my loader has done every thing I asked it too. Good luck with your decision.


Jim

Well, those options probably aren't things I "need" technically, but they sure would be nice... and to be honest I probably wouldn't ever scrape up the money for all those luxuries if I bought the l3700 or any other tractor without them.

I didn't think the l3240 was that wide...72"? The Kubota specs list the width as much narrower but maybe that's with ag's?

So far the votes tally 3-0 for the Grand L. Any l3700 votes/opinions?

 

[kcender]

According to the Kubota website the 3240 is 827 pounds heavier than the 3700.I would consider this a significant difference as weight is more important than horsepower in my opinion.Weight is required for traction.Also the HST plus transmission of the 3240 is very nice,especially the Hydro Dual Speed feature.As far as horsepower the 3700 has 37.4 gross and the 3240 has 34 gross.I doubt you would be able to feel the difference in 3.4 horsepower.Just a few things to consider.

 

[kub32guy]

I left out 72" was with R-4's. Kcender brought up a good point with the weight. My R-4's are loaded (additional 400 pounds if I remember correctly) and with my woods 84" BB on the back, I have never picked up the back end while using loader. I sure you will appericiate the extra weight with the tasks you mentioned.
Extra weight is also something you might have to factor into 3700. By the way is the 3240 hst or gear?

 

[ispan1]

I left out 72" was with R-4's. Kcender brought up a good point with the weight. My R-4's are loaded (additional 400 pounds if I remember correctly) and with my woods 84" BB on the back, I have never picked up the back end while using loader. I sure you will appericiate the extra weight with the tasks you mentioned.
Extra weight is also something you might have to factor into 3700. By the way is the 3240 hst or gear?

Yes, the weight would be nice. Sounds like 4-0 and my wife has even put one in for the winning team. Sounds like this is a sweep.

It is HST. Has HSTplus changed since the 2008 model year? I seem to remember reading about HST1,2,3 generations. Can you explain how the 2 speed works? Anything will probably feel like magic to me as I have only owned gear tractors.